Armistice Day

Lord Craig of Radley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they will take to ensure that the United Kingdom is formally represented at all major Armistice Day services held in Commonwealth countries in November 2007.

Lord Triesman: Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not formally instruct them to do so, it is common practice for the heads of our diplomatic missions to attend, or to send a representative to, Armistice or Remembrance Day services overseas.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the Commission for Racial Equality will join the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights.

Baroness Andrews: Trevor Phillips, the current chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, became chair of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights on 11 September. Following this appointment, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government wrote to Trevor Phillips stating that she was minded to direct that the CRE join the CEHR in October 2007 instead of April 2009 as originally envisaged. She asked for his advice on this matter and will take a decision shortly based on his reply, including his consultation of the other equality bodies.

Consultants: Department of Health

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In each of the past three years, what payments in total have been made to (a) ER Consultants, and (b) Praesta by the Department of Health; and for what services.

Lord Warner: The department paid ER Consultants £22,530.74 in September this year and nothing in 2004-05 or 2005-06. Praesta was paid a total of £45,237.50 during 2005-06 and nothing in 2004-05 or so far in 2006-07. The payments were made as part of the department's HR and development programme for senior civil servants.

Government Departments: Special Advisers

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 10 July (WA 89), how many assistants currently support special advisers to Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government; and what is the nature of their services.

Baroness Andrews: There were two Cabinet Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department for Communities and Local Government) whose special advisers received support from four members of staff. These staff provide support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Houses of Parliament: Carbon Offsetting

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to the Written Answer by Nick Harvey MP representing the House of Commons Commission on 22 March (HC, 398W), whether there is now a carbon offsetting policy for the Parliamentary Estate.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The House Committee agreed on 18 July to join the House of Commons in making payments to offset the carbon emissions produced from parliamentary air travel booked through the Travel Office, with effect from the next financial year (2007-08). Payments will be made into the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund set up by Defra, to fund projects which reduce emissions in the developing world.

Interpreters

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they would support the formation of a separate professional body by organisations solely representing the interpreting profession.

Lord Adonis: The Government welcome action by any professional group to raise their standards of practice. Indeed, the national occupational standards on which many vocational qualifications are based are as a result of consultations with a range of relevant professional associations. However, it is for each group of professionals to decide for themselves whether they wish to form a distinct professional body and not something for the Government to prescribe.

Official Documents: Twelvetrees Crescent Warehouse

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What files were lost by the Department for Transport in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the department; whether any work or projects will be delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Thirty files in transit at the Twelvetrees Crescent site were destroyed. They formed part of records concerning grants under the Transport Act 2000, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, disabled persons' transport, contracts and marine matters. The impact is minor and no work or projects have been delayed or abandoned. Two ships may require to be resurveyed at an estimated cost of £4,000.

Railways: Great North Eastern Franchise

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will renegotiate the franchise agreement with Great North Eastern Railways if the company fails to comply with its franchise commitment to operate two trains per hour between London and Leeds.

Lord Davies of Oldham: GNER is committed to introduce the Leeds half-hourly services no later than December 2007. GNER is working with Network Rail and other industry parties to achieve this.

Roads: Dartford Crossing

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was (a) the total toll revenue; (b) the total operating cost; and (c) the surplus for the Dartford Crossing in its last year of operation for which figures are available.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Figures are available for the year ended 31 March 2005 and show:
	(a) Total revenue from road-user charge—£68,927,000
	(b) Total operating cost—£16,808,000
	(c) Net revenue—£52,211,000 (including rental income and interest)
	All revenue is spent on transport projects. The full accounts are available on the Dartford Crossing pages of the Highways Agency website. The link is www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/8614.aspx.

Roads: Dartford Crossing

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many vehicles and what percentage of total traffic over an average 24-hour period use the Dartford Crossing between (a) 6 am and midnight, and (b) at all other times.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Based on the traffic volumes for the year to 31 March 2006:
	(a) On average, 140,000 vehicles, 93.7 per cent of total traffic, used the crossing between 6 am and midnight.
	(b) On average, 9,400 vehicles, 6.3 per cent of total traffic, used the crossing at other times.

Roads: Dartford Crossing

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much of the revenues derived from the Dartford Crossing since 1 April 2003 have been spent on local transport projects in either Kent or Essex; and on what projects the money has been spent.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Revenues from the crossing are included in the Department for Transport's overall budget. The department has provided funding support for many projects in Kent and Essex.
	Kent County Council, Thurrock Council and Essex County Council have reported total actual transport capital expenditure (excluding on major schemes), as follows.
	
		
			 £m 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 
			 Kent County 23.017 27.809 31.829 
			 Thurrock 3.598 3.400 7.354 
			 Essex County 35.755 40.148 75.462 
		
	
	Most of this expenditure is supported by the government funding support for capital investment in integrated transport improvements and highways maintenance related to the local transport plans produced by Kent County Council, Thurrock Council and Essex County Councils.
	On top of the usual funding support for local transport plans, the Government allocated funding for supplementary bids related to integrated transport improvements in the vicinity of the Dartford Crossing to Kent County Council and Thurrock Council. The expenditure related to these allocations is included in the totals in the previous table. The allocations related to these supplementary bids were:
	
		
			 £m 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 
			 Kent 1.0 1.0 1.0 
			 Thurrock 1.0 0.73 0.75 
		
	
	In addition, funding support has been provided for a number of major transport schemes promoted by the local authorities.
	Some of these schemes (government funding in parentheses) were in the immediate vicinity of the Dartford Crossing:
	Kent Fastrack rapid transit system (£14.5 million). Opened 2006
	West Thurrock regeneration route (£5.070 million). Completed 2004
	South Thames development route phase 4 (£16 million). Completed June 2003
	Other schemes in Kent and Essex further away from the Dartford Crossing have also been progressed with government funding support.
	This investment is in addition to substantial investment in trunk roads leading to the crossing, which includes:
	A2/A282 Dartford improvement (£120.22 million). Currently under construction
	A2 Bean to Cobham—phase 2 (£122.29 million). Currently under construction.

Roads: Dartford Crossing

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much profit the Dartford Crossing has made since 1 April 2003.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The figures for the first two years' operation are:
	
		
			  2003-04 2004-05 Total 
			 Income £68,118,000 £69,019,000 £137,137,000 
			 Expenditure £14,131,000 £16,808,000 £30,939,000 
			 Net Proceeds £53,987,000 £52,211,000 £106,198,000 
		
	
	The full accounts, for both years, are available on the Dartford Crossing pages of the Highways Agency website. The link is www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4068.aspx.

Roads: Dartford Crossing

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the length of contract between Le Crossing Company Ltd and the Department for Transport for the operation of the Dartford Crossing; how much the contract is worth each year; what are the main terms of the contract; and on what basis the contract was awarded.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The contract between Le Crossing Company Ltd and the Secretary of State for Transport was awarded on 22 January 2003. The starting date was 22 January 2003. The possession date was 1 April 2003.
	The contract period was three years and five months commencing on the possession date (ie, the original contract period ended on 31 August 2006).
	The contract terms provided for the contract term to be extended. On 28 January 2005 the contract was extended by a period of 12 months (ie, up to 31 August 2007).
	On 15 February 2006 the contract was extended by a further period of 12 months minimum (ie, up to 31 August 2008), with a variable period thereafter the precise duration of which is to be determined by the commencement date of the M25 DBFO contract.
	The actual annual costs to date are as follows:
	1 April 2003-31 March 2004—£13.15 million
	1 April 2004-31 March 2005—£13.82 million
	1 April 2005- 31 March 2006—£14.53 million
	1 April 2006- 31 August 2006—£5.97 million
	The contract is a target price contract based on the Highways Agency's managing agent contractor (MAC) form of contract. The MAC is a contract derived from and in the style of the engineering and construction contract published by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
	The contract was awarded on the basis of the most advantageous bid taking into account quality, price and other relevant matters.

Shipping: Cruise Liner Crews

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 18 October (WA 197), whether they will reconsider their decision not to have discussions concerning the welfare of below-deck crews during their regular contacts with shipping interests.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have not made any decision to refrain from discussions concerning the welfare of below-deck crews during regular contacts with shipping interests. I am not aware of any request to discuss this matter to date but, if such a request is received, it will be carefully considered.

Waterways: Attracting Visitors

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What attractions have been introduced on inland waterways in England and Wales in the past three years in order to attract more visitors.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government do not maintain a list of attractions on inland waterways. However, British Waterways, a government-sponsored body, maintains a website, www.waterscape.com, which gives details of attractions and events on inland waterways throughout Britain.
	To encourage tourism, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds VisitBritain to promote Britain to overseas visitors and to England domestically. In association with waterscape.com, VisitBritain's Enjoy England website features its Waterside England campaign, which provides information on events and attractions in all regions of England. In addition, VisitBritain's successful SeaBritain 2005 campaign, designed around the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, also featured inland events.